1. Gearing Up. Admit it: half the fun of every hobby is getting the tricked-out gear. And just when you thought you had the latest in clippable LED book-illuminating technology–Check out this glowing nightlight/bookmark for your bedside table. You’ll never lose your place again.

2. Getting Caught. I’m a chronic book-carrier. The minute I leave the house without a book, I’ll inevitably get stuck in a half-mile line at the post office or a friend will arrive an hour late for a lunch date. Never, ever leave the house empty-handed. Because you also never know when you’ll see a perfect, unexpected reading spot and feel moved to settle in for a few minutes. The Caught Reading column on the Elle Lit Life blog interviews people who dare read in public, where everyone can see.

3. Speed. There’s nothing wrong with being a slow reader. Some of us are not so speedy. Some of us are just fine with that. But if you want to polish your reading game, this website will put you through the paces.

4. Reviews. Every reader is a critic. And sometimes, that’s the only perk to slogging through a truly terrible book. Whether your critique is positive or negative, it’s yours to give, and there are plenty of places on the internet where you can publish a book review. This guy just happens to be particularly amusing.

5. It’ll Change Your Life. We learn so much from books. Math books in grade school and cookbooks in college and gardening manuals when you buy your first house. But fiction teaches us about life–people and relationships–and these lessons are most dear in the years before we hit high school and critical, dissecting English courses. This article by Tim Kreider talks about the importance of reading in early adolescence and how a love of reading can change your life.

You know how when you talk about food for too long, or read your aunt’s copy of Taste of Home, you get really hungry? I just did that to myself with reading. Do not disturb.

-Susannah